News and Media

This section of the News and Media Services department site tracks stories in print and broadcast media that feature Auggie faculty, students, and staff. The area also is home to material developed for University-related programs, events, and more.

Augsburg University recently became one of 1,000 accredited four-year colleges and universities that have adopted the test-optional admissions policy, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. International applicants should still be aware that the policy doesn’t always apply to students who attended high school outside of the U.S. At Augsburg, international applicants must submit minimum scores for one standardized test in order to meet the English proficiency requirement for admission. “The only difference is related to English proficiency,” said Devon Ross, Augsburg Director of Undergraduate Admissions, in the article.

More than 800 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2018 Fall Semester Dean’s List. The Augsburg University Dean’s List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder highlighted Augsburg University students Arianna Jones, Camille McCoy, Tamara McLenore, Camryn Speese, and Kaezha Wubben, who at their Nov. 19 game against University of Wisconsin-Superior made history after becoming the first five African-American starters at a college basketball game in Minnesota, the story said. The writer described the twelve women of color on the team of 19 as the “diverse dozen.”

“In the MIAC there’s not many of us out there playing. A lot of them are sitting on the bench.” said starter Speese, in the article. “I’ve been here since the beginning…making it a point of getting people of color at our school, which is the most diverse school in the MIAC.”

Augsburg History Professor Bill Green was interviewed by Prairie Public about his new book “The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876.”

Green has published articles, op-ed pieces, and book chapters on history, law, and education, and he has previously published books on race and civil rights in Minnesota history. He also has served as a past president of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

After 100 days of traveling and studying the Mississippi River, students returned to Minnesota on Dec. 2.

The group had a welcome back celebration on Dec. 6 at Augsburg’s Marshall Room. They shared their experiences, showed videos, and even sang. Kristy Ornelas, one of the 15 participating River Semester students, documented the group’s semester-long journey is a series of five videos uploaded to her YouTube channel. In these videos, students share their day-to-day life during the second River Semester. The first was in 2015.

“The fact that we’ve been able to spend 100 days together in a really small tight-knit group is nothing I’ve ever done and the challenge and rewards of this experience is nothing I could ever imagine,” said student Spoir Delmain, in the video titled “What a Wonderful World.”

“I think family is the best way to know how to call our group, and I feel that way because we take care of each other in different ways. We’ve learned how to support each other, cheer each other on, or cry on each other’s shoulders,” Delmain said.

Augsburg University students spent November 17 handing out jackets, blankets, children’s toys, and hot lunch to families in need at a homeless encampment near Augsburg. “It’s basically in our backyard for our school and I think that helping the community is a really big thing for me,” student Tyler Johnson told a reporter. This day of service was initiated by Augsburg student Inam Al-Hammouri, then other students quickly joined, including many members of the men’s soccer team.

“Cooking a hot lunch and serving it to hungry families out in the cold is not something most college kids would do on a Saturday, but these youth at Augsburg University are not just your average students,” said Fox 9 reporter Christina Palladino. “The students believe it is their responsibility to take action and empower their generation to build bridges to those less fortunate.” The students said they plan to organize more days of service, especially now that temperatures are dropping.

Former Minnesota Supreme Court associate justice and Vikings player Alan Page was one of seven to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. Page’s charitable work through the Page Education Foundation has helped many students of color like Robert Harper ’16 succeed in their careers. Harper spoke with Kare 11 about how the work of Alan Page impacted his life.

“He has made me want to stay true to my passion and stay grounded in social justice work. When I came out of college I was applying to less meaningful jobs. I am a second-year graduate student at Humphrey School of Public Affairs studying public policy. That is a decision I did make with Alan,” Harper said. “He always says, ‘Make sure you hold the door open for the person behind you. Make sure you send the elevator back down.’ ”

Reinaldo Moya’s “The Way North” tells the story of a Central American migrant making a journey to the United States through Mexico, leaving everything behind. Moya is a Composition Assistant Professor at Augsburg University and was recently featured in a Star Tribune article about “The Way North,” the main work on Minneapolis pianist Matthew McCright’s new album.

“I got a grant from the State Arts Board. Reinaldo and I had been talking about what we might do for the project.” McCright said. “We came up with the idea of immigration — a very rough idea in the beginning, of a migrant journey to the United States.”